Top Stories - Topics from April, 2016

The Madison County Board of Education has been asked to consider a $70,000 loan to the Madison County Touchdown Club for the purchase of an electronic scoreboard for the Raider field.

Superintendent Allen McCannon recommended the board approve the loan at its April meeting but the board decided to table the matter for further consideration.

In his recommendation, McCannon noted that the Club agreed to pay a minimum of $10,000 each fiscal year back to the school system. In the “memorandum of understanding,” it stated the scoreboard would be the property of the school system, who would assume all electrical requirements and maintenance responsibilities, as well as the advertising for bids and selecting a vendor to provide the scoreboard.

Assistant superintendent Bonnie Knight said the board wanted to table the issue until they are further along in next year’s budgeting process and that she expects it won’t come up again for consideration until the June business meeting.[Full Story »]

Rabies clinics at 14 locations are being planned in Madison County April 30.

The clinics are sponsored by Madison County 4-H in cooperation with local veterinarians.

Rabies vaccinations cost $10 for one year and $15 for a three-year vaccine. An animal must be current on its one-year vaccine and be over one year old to receive a three-year vaccine.

“Please bring proof of current vaccine in order to receive a three-year vaccine,” organizers said. “Let’s protect the health of our dogs, cats, families and neighbors by vaccinating or by keeping your precious pet’s vaccine up to date against this preventable disease. It’s the law!”

Other vaccines may be available, including canine distemper, feline distemper, leukemia, heart worm, tick and flea preventative and parvo.

“You will need to ask at the location you visit what is available,” said organizers.
Animals must be kept under control while at the clinic sites. Animals should be kept in vehicles. 4-H volunteers and vets will visit the vehicle. [Full Story »]

In the first of three planned forums this campaign season, candidates running for the two seats up for grabs at the county board of commission table took to the stage at the high school theater Tuesday night to convince voters why they should be the one to fill the empty chair for their district.

The event, which was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, began with introductions from each of the candidates and followed with the chance to answer several written questions submitted by audience members.

District 1 candidate Lisa Mathis was the first to speak, telling the audience that it was her goal to offer her service to the people of her district and to the county. She said she had been “gently” told by God to run for the office.

Wayne Douglas said he and his wife, Carol, have lived in the county for 30 years and have been very involved in community, civic and government organizations. Douglas said he is retired from the Social Security Administration and Ty Cobb Healthcare. He has served as chairman of the planning and zoning commission for the past decade and is the long-time pastor of Wesley Chapel Church, which he called his “passion and his calling.”

He said during his tenure the planning commission has worked to try to make the county more receptive to business and to give more freedom to private property owners.

“We are an agriculture county, but business and agriculture can co-exist,” he said. He acknowledged the county faces problems with its budget shortfall and needs long-term goals in place to combat them.[Full Story »]

Voters will be able to visit the Madison County Board of Elections office in the Madison County government complex beginning May 2 to cast their ballots in the local primary elections and general non-partisan elections.

Early voting will be held through May 20 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on business days. Saturday voting will also be offered May 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There are nine contested local races.

The Madison County Journal has sent questionnaires to local candidates with answers to run in upcoming issues. Three political forums have also been set. A forum was held Tuesday night for district 1 and 2 candidates at the county commissioners’ table. (See story below). A forum for sheriff’s candidates, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, will be held at the Madison County High School Theater at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 19.

A forum for BOC chairman’s candidates, sponsored by the Madison County Farm Bureau, will be held at the Jackson EMC community room off Hwy. 29 at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 21.

Local officials gathered at the Madison County Jail April 5 with blue ribbon and over-sized scissors to recognize a moment that was eight years in the making — a bigger jail.

Sheriff Kip Thomas welcomed board of commission members, New South Construction members and others to the new 32-bed pod at the Madison County Detention Center Tuesday morning, saying it was a long time coming.

“It is something we needed and we actually needed more (space) but we are glad to have it,” Thomas said. He praised the contractors and chief deputy Shawn Burns, who oversaw the construction.

“This is an excellently built facility,” he said.

Board of Commission chairman Anthony Dove also praised Burns and New South Construction for their diligence and hard work and remarked that one of the best things about the new jail addition is that it is already paid for with special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) funds.

Dove added that the project actually came in about $91,000 under its budget, leaving that much in the 2008 SPLOST account. Madison County voters approved $3 million in sales tax funds for a jail expansion in a 2008 referendum.

Chief Burns said the new pod would be full “by nightfall” on Tuesday. He said they were hoping to transport male prisoners currently being held at other facilities to fill the new pod that afternoon. The group also took a tour of the command tower, the maintenance area and a portion that has been roofed and stubbed out, ready to add 16 more beds when it becomes feasible to do so.

While the expanded area will help alleviate overcrowding at the facility, it isn’t sufficient in size, according to Burns in a recent interview about the jail. Burns said the state government addressed its jail overcrowding problem by transferring the incarceration burden to counties, which hurt the local jail.

“The Criminal Justice Reform Act basically put the burden off the state and on the local counties,” said Burns. “Instead of them going to prison for burglary or probation violation or whatever, they’re sentencing them to county time. They’re serving time here.” [Full Story »]

A 61-year old woman was killed in a Tuesday afternoon collision on Hwy. 72 East near Noble Road in Carlton.

Ruby Lynn Stowe, of Carlton, died at the scene after her 1995 Saturn was struck head on by a 1999 Nissan Frontier driven by Randy Blackwell, 58, of Elberton.

According to Sgt. Scott Andrews of the Athens post of the Georgia State Patrol, Blackwell and his passenger, 26-year old Taylor Blackwell, were headed west on Hwy. 72 when Blackwell reportedly lost control of his truck as he was negotiating a curve and crossed the centerline, striking Stowe’s car, which was headed east.

The accident happened about 6:11 p.m.

Both Blackwell and his passenger were transported to Athens Regional Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, according to Andrews.

The accident remains under investigation by Troop B of the SCRT (Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team) and charges are pending against driver Blackwell, Andrews stated.

The board of commissioners voted 4-1 March 28 to join the unit after a presentation by District Attorney Parks White. Jim Escoe provided the lone “No” vote at the table.

“The unit allows us to make great strides in getting to the source of drugs,” said White, who noted that having agencies work together is far more efficient in tracking down drug traffickers than each agency going at it alone.

Madison County will have one investigator, Sam Beard, join the force, which includes Franklin County, Elberton, Hartwell and Lavonia. White said there’s no cost to the county to have Beard join the force overseen by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. The force plans to approach other towns and counties about joining too. White said it makes sense to have Madison County and Franklin County work together.

Beard will work cases in other counties, such as Franklin County and Hart County. However, law officers noted that Madison County will get the benefit of four investigators from the force working cases in the county, too.

The commissioners had been approached on several occasions by Sheriff Kip Thomas about joining the task force. But the board voiced reluctance to join due to potential liability issues. For instance, what if law officers from other counties get in trouble in a case and get sued? Would Madison County be on the hook financially for the mistakes of officers in other counties? A GBI representative on hand Monday explained that the county is only liable for its own officer. [Full Story »]